I kept the top on, because if I didn’t, I’d look like the Wicked Witch of the West by the time I got into town. My fiery red hair was naturally curly and had a mind of its own. Wind was not my friend when it came to my unruly mop.
By the time I arrived at the Coffee Shack, I realized that I was nervous, but had no idea why.
Most likely, it was that kiss last night that had me edgy. Or maybe the near-miss embrace I’d avoided when Seth had dropped me off.
I got out of my vehicle and grabbed my purse, thinking that all of this would be so damn easier if Seth Sinclair didn’t make me want to rip off his clothes and climb him like he was a tree.
I shook my head as I walked to the entrance.
Why did it have to be him who suddenly set my body on fire, and had my mind going to erotic places that I’d never even known existed?
Once I stepped inside, I immediately saw him waving his arm in the air.
He was at the same table he’d been at the other two times we’d met up here.
“Hi,” I said breathlessly as I sat down across from him.
“The usual.” He pushed my chai toward me with a grin that made me squirm with agitation. Seth’s smile was heart stopping, and highly intriguing since his smoky eyes didn’t give up any of his secrets. There seemed to be so much emotion in their depths, but I had no idea what he was thinking. Quite honestly, he was an enigma.
I picked up my chai. “This is huge,” I told him, looking at the supersize cup of chai before I took a sip. “I usually get the regular size.”
“You can toss it if you don’t want the whole thing,” he suggested.
“No!” I exclaimed. “It’s not that I don’t want it, but it’s full of sugar and cream. I try to keep my consumption of it under control. My hips don’t like it.”
He smirked. “Funny that you should say that. I like your hips just fine. I wouldn’t like them any less if they got wider, either.”
I rolled my eyes, even though I was secretly starting to delight in the complimentary things he said about me.
I watched him as I sipped my chai. There wasn’t a thing about Seth that made him unappealing, from the way he filled out his gorgeous gray custom suit to the way his hair was slightly mussed up. But probably the most attractive thing about him was that he didn’t seem to know just how gorgeous he was, or that his thousand-watt smile was enough to melt almost any woman into a puddle at his feet.
It still seemed strange to me that Seth had never had a long-term girlfriend, even when he hadn’t had money. If I was in the market for a man, which I wasn’t, I’d be all over him whether he had two pennies to rub together or not.
“How is your day going?” I asked politely. It was more than a courteous question. I really wanted to know.
“I’m distracted,” he answered unhappily.
“Is everything okay?” I was worried. Seth wasn’t the inattentive type.
“Nope. I’m not. I can’t stop thinking about the hot redhead who rocked my world with a single kiss last night.”
My heart skittered. “Maybe you shouldn’t see her again so soon, then.”
He shook his head dramatically. “Not a chance. We’re dating. I want to see her as often as possible.”
I shifted in my chair uncomfortably. “I’m having a hard time focusing, too,” I confessed. “I told you that kiss was a mistake.”
“It didn’t feel like a mistake, Riley,” he rumbled. “My biggest issue is how soon I can taste you again, and all of the places I’d like to do it next time.”
I tried to ignore his comment, but it was impossible. Just the thought of our bodies melding together, preferably naked and skin-to-skin, sent a shock of heat between my thighs.
I couldn’t not imagine where I’d like to have those amazing lips of his kiss me. The man was simply too damn tempting.
“Why can’t we just be friends?” I said desperately. “It’s not like we need to fake the whole ‘showing affection’ thing anymore.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I want to be your friend.” His eyes drilled into my face. “But if we’re going to start off right with this new relationship, I’m not going to bullshit you and say I don’t want a hell of a lot more than just a kiss. I want us to be honest with each other, Riley. You won’t trust me if I hold anything back. And for me, I wasn’t faking it last night.”
Maybe I won’t trust him if he’s not honest. But it certainly wasn’t comfortable to hear about how he lusted after me, either. I wasn’t used to it.
“I’m attracted to you, too,” I confessed, determined to be equally up-front with him as well. “But I already told you that I’m not looking for a man or a relationship.”
“Then feel free to use me for the time we have. Truth is, neither one of us knows where this is going, but we obviously realize that we’d like to fuck each other until that goddamn desire is gone.”
My head shot up to gape at him. “I’ve never had casual sex.”
In fact, I’d only had two lovers in my life: one relationship had ended quickly in college. And then there was Nolan, who made it obvious he wasn’t all that physically attracted to me. Obviously, he liked his women younger. A lot younger.
I really didn’t like to remember screwing my ex-fiancé. Not only did it disgust me, considering he was doing Penny at the same time, but it just hadn’t been good overall.
“Never had casual sex?” he questioned. “I’ve had plenty of it. While I won’t say it’s completely satisfying, it never hurts to scratch that itch.”
“Not interested,” I lied. “I have a vibrator.”
I shuddered as he looked at me as though he was imagining what I’d look like getting myself off.
“I’d love to see that,” he said hoarsely. “But I still think you’d be better off experimenting with me.”
As I stared back at him, I knew I’d find a hell of a lot more satisfaction with him. Naked, rolling around in the sheets, our bodies melting together while we both satisfied the itch.
Honestly, for me, the sexual urges gnawing at me were more like an allover body rash that I wanted to scratch hard.
“Please don’t push me,” I said in a pleading tone that I hated.
I wasn’t used to being hesitant about anything in my life. At all. Ever. But Seth sucked some kind of vulnerability from me that I couldn’t seem to control.
As though he felt it, he reached out and grabbed my hand. “Hey, I didn’t mean to push. Take your time. It might kill me, but I’m more than willing to wait, Riley. Truthfully, I’d like to believe that this could be more than just a sexual fling.”
A pulse vibrated through my whole body as he stroked the top of my hand with his thumb.
Any contact.
Any touch.
Any sexual innuendos from this man, no matter how subtle, made every rational thought I’d always had fly out of my head.
Truthfully, I wanted him to touch me, but then I ended up regretting it because it breached one of the walls I’d built up inside me.
Safe. Being safe is always better than taking a risk.
I’d craved security for so long. Now that I’d found it in my solitude, it was almost impossible to let that go. Even a little.